Oak-Aged Backburner (Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appears a dense mahogany with a small white cap that slowly fades into a gentle cap. Tiny speckles of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of dense caramel, fruit, vanilla, oak, whiskey, peaches, pineapple...sheer sweetness.
Taste is of the aromas with a candy sweetness that lingers with heat.
Mouthfeel is full bodied, chewy, sweet, and hot.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2012 23:58:06 | More by weeare138

LI_PO12

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber into Tulip

Appearance- Deep amber, somewhat hazy, half finger head dissipates quickly.

Aroma- Wow, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, Some dark fruits(figs, dates), some slight citrus and pine, alcohol but not getting in the way of the other aromas. And it gets much better as it warms up. Getting the oak in the nose for sure.

Flavor-Sweet, a lot of oak, vanilla, caramel, taffy, good balance but on the sweet side of things, Boozy but not harsh. Compared to the aroma the flavor is a lacking.

Mouthfeel- Full, smooth, medium low carb, alcohol warmth

Overall- I have had this before younger and it was very good. Picked up a 15 month old bottle to try. Still a solid barley wine. I have never had the un-oaked version so I don't how it compares but the oak helps this out a lot. I see they dry hop with amirillo and centennial so I'd be interested in finding a fresh bottle some day. If you like barelywine this is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 05:43:28 | More by LI_PO12

Dannynoonan123

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%

05-26-2013 01:39:26 | More by Dannynoonan123

superspak

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 2/15/2012. Pours slightly hazy deep ruby red color with a 1 finger dense cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big orange zest, caramel, raisin, molasses, toast, toffee, oak, floral, pine, grass, and floral earthiness. Fantastic aromas with great balance and complexity of malt notes with moderate hop and oak balance. Taste of orange zest, caramel, raisin, toast, toffee, brown sugar, brown bread, floral, pine, oak, grass, and floral earthiness. Minimal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of orange zest, raisin, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toast, brown bread, floral, light pine, and hop earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice complexity and balance of deep malt flavors with moderate hop balance; and zero cloying sweetness present after the finish. Medium carbonation and moderately full bodied; with a creamy, fairly slick, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent barleywine! All around nice balance and complexity of malt flavors with moderate hops; and dangerously smooth to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 03:58:21 | More by superspak

seplo

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%

05-21-2013 01:53:36 | More by seplo

JohnSnowNW

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -1%

05-15-2013 19:39:15 | More by JohnSnowNW

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-13-2013 22:35:16 | More by mikeincharleston

vrbulldog22

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

05-13-2013 18:57:02 | More by vrbulldog22

bluesplit63

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

05-12-2013 11:17:09 | More by bluesplit63

Lynn

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-12-2013 10:35:12 | More by Lynn

assman79

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

05-06-2013 00:33:10 | More by assman79

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from tap into snifter at tap and mallet Rochester ny. Pours a hazy burnt orange with nice lacing. Sweet malty syrup and an almost citrus hop aroma. Taste is somewhat mild toffe at first but finishes with a big toffee caramel hop flavor with a mild vanilla woody oak. Its easy to drink....really easy but hits hard. Its better as it warms. Nice barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2013 23:26:27 | More by DrinkSlurm

KiMiRaiK

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

04-22-2013 02:17:30 | More by KiMiRaiK

nesarebad

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

TIme to rev up the old review machine:

Oak Aged-Back Burner; 22 oz bottle; Bottled on 2/28/13; served at 42-45F in my new Firestone Walker Barrelworks Teku:

A - Poors a beautiful clear ruby with a tea brown tint, 1 finger head that clings to the glass as vibrant lacing.

S - The nose is not intense or over powering. There are hints of dark fruit, leather, smoke, and herbal tones from the dry hops. Not really getting any hint of the oak aging in the smell. I would say the smell is just somewhat flat.

T - Upfront, you call tell that there are some complex flavors coming together. Hops, not overly bitter but very fresh at this point. A nice malt balance. Slightly medicinal...and...not much oak.

M - Smooth, vibrant, very fresh. Not cloying or viscous, definitely a drinkable barley wine.

O - A well crafted American Barley Wine. Hits the mark with a nice hop bill that balances the sweetness of the malt. It is what you would expect. The kicker though, is you are not getting much of the oak in the flavor. Perhaps the oak is working in the background to balance out the often assertive flavors in the style. Would like to see how this one works out with age and will definitely consider getting more if it is available.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 03:47:45 | More by nesarebad

oldedog

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -1%

04-16-2013 23:01:41 | More by oldedog

Invictus

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

04-15-2013 22:17:10 | More by Invictus

Kelp

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -1%

04-15-2013 05:38:34 | More by Kelp

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -1%

04-15-2013 04:24:35 | More by BrownAleMale

IPAchris

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

04-12-2013 13:19:00 | More by IPAchris

Etan

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

22oz into a wine glass.

A: Pours out an amber-brown with a small light beige head.

S: Brown sugar, molasses, light oxidation, leafy, overripe citrus. A bit sweet.

T: Brown bread, toffee, a little bit of pleasantly dry oak character, light clementine and hop bitterness.

M: Medium-bodied, light carbonation.

O: This is actually pretty nice. The oak tempers the sweetness a bit, and the hop character isn't astringent or overbearing.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 02:21:40 | More by Etan

MaseFace

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

03-31-2013 04:11:28 | More by MaseFace

swetsastonic

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%

03-30-2013 01:49:31 | More by swetsastonic

sneaks2210

New York

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

03-27-2013 01:04:40 | More by sneaks2210

Mantooth

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

03-26-2013 22:21:15 | More by Mantooth

jsteele

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -1%

03-25-2013 12:08:55 | More by jsteele